2009/2010 Season preview (part 1)

Believe me, you don’t want to miss this season; Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily are equally powerful and clubs like Haras El Hdoud, ENPPI, Petrojet and El Gouna are rising; the competition will be stiff between at least 3 teams and nothing is predictable.

The only shortcoming, I should say, is that there will be a lot of pauses because of world cup qualifications, U-20 world cup, African cup in January and preparations for the world cup if e qualify isa.

So how did teams get ready for the event? And how are they looking before the kick off?

In order of last season standing’s:

1- Al Ahly

Even the most hardcore fan will tell you that this isn’t the same team that dominated Egyptian football for years despite their league victory last season with a tie breaker match with Ismaily; however, they had to give up their continental dreams with early and humiliating exists from the champions league and the confederation cup.

Right after the season ended, a reshuffle took place at the club: Manuel Jose, Portuguese coach left the club after gathering 19 different titles and his Egyptian assistant, Hossam El Badry, took over after the escape of Vingada, several players left, most importantly team’s captain Shady Mohamed and new young players were promoted from the youth team.

However, days before the season starts, fans are biting their nails as the team failed to convince and even worse achieved very bad result leaving the fans in a state of complete pessimism.

The team played a friendly tournament in Germany against Galatsaray and lost 1-0, Bayern Leverkusen and lost 1-0 and Wydad of Morocco and won 2-0; then they played the super cup against Haras El Hdoud and lost 2-0; then it was the biggest disgrace at Wembly cup as they lost 5-0 and 4-1 from Celtic and Barcelona respectively.

Conceding 13 goals and scoring 3 only isn’t exactly the best way to start your season.

Transfers

Out: Shady Mohamed, Flavio, Hussein Ali, Hassan Mostafa, Ramy Adel, Hussein Ali, Ahmed Hassan Farag

In: Mohamed Fadl, Mostafa Shebeita, Mohamed Khalaf, Ben Galoon (morocco), Francis (Liberia)

They refused to return El Hadary and now they have to deal with Amir Abdel Hamid!!!

2- Ismaily

Had a dream finish last season, coming back from far behind to become a heavy contender for the title and losing the tie breaker only 1-0; this season the team has high aspirations; especially, that they are participating in the champions league.

However, their preparations weren’t on the same level. After Brazilian coach Ricardo left, the club’s management failed to bring a replacement early and entered a tunnel of problems with foreign coaches and staff members who simply came and left just like that without previous warnings until they finally signed a Serbian coach; he won’t finish the first round, I am sure.

Furthermore, they canceled a preparation camp in Austria and replaced it with a local one instead.

The bright side is that they made the transfer of the season by brining El Hadary.

Transfers

Out: Ibrahim Said, Mohamed Fadl, Sherif Abdel Fadil (Probable)

In: Essam El Hadary, Ahmed Abu Mosallam (remember this guy), Mohamed El Selity (Tunisia)

3- Petrojet

They ended their season in a bad way after finishing third despite dominating throughout the whole first round; I don’t expect much from them this season.

Transfers

In: Hany Hassan. Ahed Abdel Maguid, Farag Shalaby, Mahmoud Samna

Out: —-

4- Haras El Hdoud

They simply had the perfect start for their season grabbing 3 points in confederation cup and winning the super cup and doing it in style and putting a very high tactical and technical performance which showed how much this team has developed over the years.

I nominate them for a big surprise this season both in the league and the continental competition.

Transfers

In: Abdel Rahman Mohey, Ahmed El Safy

Out: —-

5- ENNPI

Equally like El Hdoud, this team always impresses powered by their financial abilities that enable them to keep their talents; they also are aiming high this season both in the confederation cup and the league although they lost their first game in the group against Santos of Angola.

They succeeded in keeping El Mohammadi from making a move to the EPL which gives them a big moral boost for next season.

Transfers

no available information

6- Zamalek

You can realize from their position how bad things were last season; however, after a newly elected board the club is returning step by step to its stability and restoring balance.

This was apparent from the beginning of the preparation camp in Switzerland as the team lost to sochaux 3-0, beat Shakhtar, UEFA cup champion, 2-0 and losing heavily to Barashov of Romania 7-1 in a game that witnessed many pauses because of rain and mist which the players aren’t used to.

The club was active in the transfers market and successfully introduced new blood to the team and got rid of old poisonous one.

Overall, the club is doing well and they just to have to overcome the start because of they do so successfully, they might have a chance

Transfers

Out: Gamal Hamza (Mainz), Abu El Ela, Alaa Abdel Ghani, Ole Kofi, Osama Hassan, Agogo

In: Hassan Mostafa, Mohamed Abdel Shafy, Sayed Mosaad, Ahmed Gaafar, Rahim Ayo. Anderson (Brazil)

7- Al Gaish

This club doesn’t get much media coverage, so information available on it are very limited; however, with Farouk Gafaar as their coach for the second year they will be aiming at enhancing the picture taken about them from last year.

Transfers

No information

8- Al Masry

For the first time since ages, the club wasn’t part of last year’s relegation battle and they are now aiming to build on this and go higher in the rankings boosted by their large fan base.

However, problems, especially financial ones, are part of this club; their preparation camp was interrupted more than once as the players weren’t given their pay and the governor of Portsaid had to interfere to solve the problem after fans organized protests, real ones, outside the club.

Transfers

Out: Mohamed El Gabbas (Doody El Gabbas, moved to Belgium)

In: they didn’t announce anything

wait for the second part sometime, someday….